Equity Course Creation and Translations

The Need 

The Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System (PDIS) offers free online courses to early childhood professionals, but many are only accessible to those who speak English. To ensure resources are available to a diverse early childhood workforce, it is essential to translate existing forms, curricula and professional development tools in the PDIS. Creating equity-focused courses will also help providers support more diverse families in child care. 

The Strategy 

This activity creates new equity-focused online courses in the PDIS and funds the translation of existing courses and resources. 

The creation of equity-focused courses supports the delivery of high-quality, inclusive early childhood programs to Colorado's diverse population. New courses will focus on trauma-informed practices, strategies to reduce suspensions and expulsions of young children and equity, diversity and inclusion in early childhood settings.

This activity also seeks to translate at least 75% of eligible CDEC resources from Training and Licensing into Spanish.

Key Outcomes and Learnings 

Impact 

Translation of existing PDIS coursework into Spanish: 

• Family Child Care Home (FCCH) Pre-Licensing Training (15 hours) 
  The required instructor-led course for all prospective FCCH providers. 
• Medication Administration: Asthma and Inhaled Medications (1 hour) 
  This online course is for all unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) who are responsible for administering asthma medications only. 
• Medication Administration: Severe Allergies/Anaphylaxis Only (1 hour) 
  This online course is for all unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) who are responsible for administering allergy medications. 
• Introduction to First Aid and CPR (1 hour) 
  This online course is an introduction to basic first aid, what to do in an emergency for children, and how to get CPR certified. 
• Coaching with the Environment Rating Scales, Third Editions (ERS-3) (1 hour) 
  This online course supports early childhood coaches who are working with programs going through an ERS-3 observation. It walks you through steps to take to get started coaching with the ERS-3, tools to help you define a shared frame of reference with programs and educators, and offers tools and resources to use as you use the ERS-3 for continuous quality improvement. 

Creation of new PDIS courses (in both English and Spanish) focused on EDI: 

• Creating Safe Places: Trauma-Informed Practices in Early Childhood Settings (1.5 hours) 
  This online course explores creating safe spaces early care and learning settings through the use of trauma-informed practices. It covers what trauma is, how it can affect people of all ages and backgrounds and how to support healing and resiliency. 
• CCCAP Provider Basics (1 hour) 
  This online course is intended for child care providers and staff wishing to serve families through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP). 
• Pre-Licensing Train-the-Trainer (2 hours) 
  This online module prepares trainers to facilitate FCCH Pre-Licensing training, and provides access to the materials for that training. 
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Settings (1 hour) 
  This online course defines equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and why it's important, provides an overview of the traits central to being an EDI-focused provider and identifies strategies for building a culture of EDI in the early childhood setting. 
• Ending Suspension and Expulsion in Early Care and Learning Settings (1.5 hours) 
  This online course is an introduction to ending suspension and expulsion (as well as other forms of exclusionary discipline) in early care and learning settings. It explores what exclusionary discipline looks like in early care and learning settings, how it negatively impacts children and families, and factors that contribute to it. This course also equips learners with alternative, appropriate supports to keep children in early childhood settings. 
• Creating Safe Places: Trauma-Informed Practices in Early Childhood Settings (1.5 hours) 
  This online course explores creating safe spaces for everyone who is part of early care and learning settings through the use of trauma-informed practices. It covers what trauma is, how it can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, and how trauma-informed practices can support healing and resiliency. 

Translation of 75% of eligible CDEC documents and resources from Training and Licensing into Spanish. Documents have been translated into Spanish to support: 

• Licensing 
• Expanding Quality in Infant and Toddler (EQIT) Care 
• Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) 
• Training 
• Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System (PDIS) 

Learning

Internal staff resources are needed to conduct quality control on all translated material and manage the additional document resources. 

eLearning development projects continue to confirm that publishing completed courses in English and Spanish simultaneously is best practice for equity and inclusion, rather than publishing in English first and Spanish after translation is completed.